How Much Do the Players of the Top Seven Women’s Cricket Teams Really Earn?

Tanya Kini

Photo courtesy: Southern Stars via Facebook.

Cricket Australia released a striking statement last week about the proposed Memorandum of Understanding for 2017-22. James Sutherland, the board CEO, seemed pleased about the offers his board made to its players – and why not? The stand-out feature of the proposal was a remarkable 125% increase in the retainers for Australia’s female cricketers under central contracts. The pay increase for domestic players was just as significant. Besides, the women would also get a share of the surplus from the profits CA made.

These features are still proposals and need to be accepted by the Australian Cricketers’ Association. These numbers might yet change, and one point of contention might be the pregnancy clauses, details of which were leaked to the media in December 2016. Yet, the announcement marks a statement of intent and the numbers proposed are truly significant for the women’s game.

In light of the Australian proposal – and in a World Cup year at that – Wisden India looks at the top seven women’s teams and compares their earnings based on figures publicised by the boards.

Australia: The epitome of professionalism

The Southern Stars, the defending World Cup champions, are a force to be reckoned with in the women’s game, setting a high standard in performance and training. With the introduction of the WBBL, Australia were also trailblazers in creating women’s T20 leagues. The heart of this professionalism has been CA’s pay contract system for their female cricketers.

Apart from the regular contracts, players get a minimum match fee of AUS$ 1000 for Tests and AUS$ 700 for ODIs and T20Is. This means that in a full season of an Ashes series (1 Test, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is), a full WBBL campaign and a World Cup campaign (excluding knock-out games), someone like Meg Lanning, the captain, could earn close to AUS$ 89,000 (Rs 44.69 lakh) in a single season.

This excludes match bonuses, performance bonuses, prize money, endorsement money, sponsorships, insurance and other concessions. It all makes Australia Women the highest paid, even among sportswomen in their country.

England: A two-year deal

The England and Wales Cricket Board introduced central contracts for their female cricketers in 2014. In December 2016, the central contracts were extended to two years along with the introduction of ‘rookie contracts’ for emerging players.

*With effect from February 2017
** Estimated amount based on reports and interviews

But before 2014, England had introduced their female players to the idea of professionalism by giving them the roles of ambassadors in the then fledgling ‘Chance to Shine’ programmes, which paved the way for central contracts.

The Women’s Cricket Super League, introduced in 2016, offers an added source of income to players (the retainer amounts aren’t public). Besides, some internationals participate in the WBBL and earn retainer fees there.

Unlike in Australia, domestic players aren’t afforded the luxury of a contract. Mark Robinson, the England women’s coach, echoed this lament when the new contracts were announced. “The women’s game is growing at a real pace, but still doesn’t have the financial security that the men’s county game offers a player from the England men’s team in the event that they lose their ECB central contract.

“That said, we do still have space and freedom to grow – we have to be able to reward players at the right time – so we will continue to assess the central contracts list on an annual basis. The new level of ‘rookie’ contract also gives us greater flexibility in this respect, allowing us to financially support players who sit just above the England Women’s Senior Academy squad, but who have not quite hit the level required to win a full central contract.”

Pakistan were among the earliest to announce central contracts for their players, with Bushra Aitzaz, the head of the women’s wing in the PCB then, championing the cause. They took the step forward in professionalising the women’s game after the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and a cash incentive for the players when they defended their gold in the 2014 edition. Having their contracts renewed yearly, the PCB also have the most number of contracted female cricketers: 22.

As the first Asian team to announce contracts for their players, Pakistan have bragging rights, even though their results haven’t consistently reflected it since then. Initially, 19 players were awarded central contracts in 2011; it sent out a strong message to the cricketing world and struck a blow for the rights of women in the region.

The players also get regular income from the jobs they hold with companies that participate in domestic cricket.

Unfortunately, they haven’t had an option to add to their contract payments through participation in domestic T20 leagues like the WBBL or WCSL.

*For 2015-16 season; no announcement has been made about the 2016-17 season

The curious case of the BCCI and India Women – the last team in the women’s game to introduce central contracts for their players and then forget about it? More like distracted by issues that were caused from spot-fixing, conflict of interest and the reports submitted by the Lodha Committee that effectively tied up the BCCI’s money for a while.

The new men’s contracts were announced this month, with pay doubled across categories. When the new contracts for women are announced – and the expectation is that they will be – will efforts be made to bridge the gender wage gap?

Despite the contracts, several Indian players continue to hold jobs with Railways, the biggest employer of female cricketers in India. As a government job, it affords them stability, and time to tour and practise. As a result, Railways are a domestic powerhouse.

BCCI have made strides in correcting the poor deal the women get. In August 2016, the daily allowance for the women was brought on a par with that of the men. Recently, the CoA also decided that just as the men’s teams and their officials and staff travel by business class, the women’s team too would enjoy that luxury.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, the first Indian cricketers to feature in a foreign league when they played in the second edition of the WBBL, have been able to supplement their finances with that income.

South Africa: The right steps forward

South Africa are the second team to offer central contracts to their female players for a period of three years. The first set of contracts, for six players, was announced in late 2013.

While the specific retainer amounts are not in the public domain, the contract renewals have been on the same terms as the men and prompt as well. CSA are the only board to have announced the list for the 2017-18 season (among those boards that offer yearly contract renewals).

West Indies were among the earliest to offer their women retainer contracts, with six players in two grades benefitting from October 2010. By 2014, this had increased to 11 players who had their contracts renewed on a yearly basis, and 15 in 2016.

The men, however, earn a lot more, and the disparity is something the likes of Deandra Dottin have been critical about. In October 2016, the WICB released a statement increasing the pool to 15. Top players like Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin will be earning close to US$ 40,000 (Rs 26.18 lakh approx.) with retainer fees from participating in the WBBL and the WCSL supplementing their income. The players also get sponsorship payments, match fees and allowances.

Sri Lanka too offer contracts to their female cricketers, but have not made the details public.

2017 is the year in which the UN is aiming to focus on women at work. The gender pay gap is an issue world over, and turning the women’s game professional through contracts is just the beginning in closing that gap. If Cricket Australia’s proposal goes through, it would be another significant step.

2 Responses to “How Much Do the Players of the Top Seven Women’s Cricket Teams Really Earn?”

There is a big gap between men and women cricketers earning. There is no limit of earning for men cricketers like Dhoni, Kholi, Raina, Yuvraj, Sachin etc. They earn more than this amount(annual earning of a female cricketer) only in one match.

Women earning less than male players is nothing to do with sexism but rather lack of demand and viewership of women’s cricket. If more people watch women’s cricket than their salaries will increase. Btw, it’s not just cricket, even tennis pays less for female players.
Indian female players being paid less as compared to other foreign cricket is due to the low value of Indian currency and lower minimum wages as compared to the developed nations.